


An Oversight

by Verdant_Mercury



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Gavin Reed, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, DEArtfest, First Meetings, Found Family, Gavin Reed is Bad at Feelings, Good Friend Tina Chen, My Deep Love For Chris Miller, Non-Linear Narrative, Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Other, Spoilers for Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, The power of friendship, Who is dad? Fowler is dad, reverse au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24924292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verdant_Mercury/pseuds/Verdant_Mercury
Summary: It's takes months before anyone realizes that the android, designation RE-300 or also known as Reed has something very wrong with it. Unfortunately, figuring that out is not a painless process for anyone involved. Or Gavin's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.DEArtfest Day One: Reverse AU
Relationships: Tina Chen & Chris Miller & Gavin Reed, Tina Chen & Gavin Reed
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	An Oversight

RE-300 kept its gaze lowered, trained on its traitorous hands. Fingers that hadn't stopped shaking and still stained red and blue. The surrounding room was quiet, blissfully quiet compared to the noise of before. Tina shouting, a gun going off multiple times, and the crunch of bones breaking underneath its hands.

Finally, _quiet_.

It likȅ̶͇̥̬̦̥̞̤̿̋ḑ̷̨̱͚̗̯̀- 

Enơ̵̧̡̧̤͈͔͔̳̪͓͈͙̟͇̠͓͓̲͓̥̯̩̝̪̼̔̉̾̅̈́̓̊̓̈̃͋̈͒̈̂͝ͅͅy̶̯͒̊͒̽͒̈͂̽̒ȩ̸̧̡̜̣͙͖͚̦̬̙̹̻̬̭̖͚̞̟̙̮̭̻̙̦̺̊̈̊̿̈̿͊͋̍̂̓̾̂͂̌̊̽̈́̄̈́̃̀̍̄͒̀̚͘͝͝ͅḏ̸̨̧̡̢̰̱̫̣̞̫̦͖̖͔̜͈̝̟͉͖̘͚͙̤̠͌̀͂͗͐̊͛̎̂̋̓̏̕͘͜͠-

Others found quiet to be nice. 

Outside the room, it knew everything to be louder. There had been multiple people, officer’s in the station. The sounds of phone’s ringing, the overlapping murmur of multiple voices speaking at once. The room was...a good enough place.

It knew its LED was red. Blaring red, like Tina’ had been. Her eyes had been wide and scared. (?) Scared of it. Like Chris’ had been moments before he barreled into Reed. It’s eye twitched. No. It was RE-300. It had failed its task and now it could not be Reed anymore. They wouldn’t _want_ it to be Reed anymore now that they knew that it was nothing but a machine.

RE-300 had lied to them.

Fingers trembled on the table, and it pressed them against the surface in an attempt to hide it. Officer’s would assume it was fear. They might go easy on it if it lets it show. RE-300’s fingers pressed harder.

It wan̵̦̋t̴̛̻ẽ̸͈ḓ̵̛

It’s androids-p̸e̸o̵p̶l̶e̶-̷b̸e̶i̶n̸g̶s̴-̷f̴a̴m̵i̸l̸y̸ had to be safe. Whatever happened to RE-300 didn’t matter.

The door chimed. Loud. Too loud. Its eyes moved, wavered for just a moment before it fixed its gaze back to the table, to the soiled hands. Already, it had sputtered out the reasons, a fragmented story between a static laced voice. They must be ready for its deactivation, the disassembly process.

The officer (?) stood in the doorway, a few beats too long. Slowly, they stepped into the room with quiet steps. The door slid shut behind them.

“It’s Reed, right?” A soft voice, a faint accent. The tone was more gentle than anyone it had heard in the station. “My name is Maria. I’m the representative sent by New Jericho in regards to your incident.”

RE-300 still doesn’t look up. It doesn’t _dare_.

“May I sit down?” She asked, still near the door. Still at his back.

It felt the gaze, the scan that surely swept over its system. She didn’t venture forward, hovering near the table but well out of reach and sight. The silence dragged on between them. One minute, two, four, seven.

RE-300 head jerked, an imperceptible nod, and only then did Maria approach. She brushed past (closer than she should’ve gotten) and sat down across from it. RE-300 wasn’t able to help it. It looked up and felt its processors stutter. An android, yes, but it could see how her skin shifted, showing glimpses of the white chassis underneath. Unintentionally, it met her eyes, and she smiled.

There was no preamble. “You can stare all you’d like. I don’t mind and truth be told even a few even back at New Jericho, sometimes.” She held up a hand, then gave RE-300 a slight wave with ever shifting skin. “I know everything has to be overwhelming for you right now, with everything that’s gone on. Can you tell me what happened in your own words?”

Her eyes took in its form, eyes lingering on the blood. She lowered her hand down on the table, took a deep breath, then looked to the glass (two-way mirror) and mustered up a smile. Faint, brittle and so honest it made RE-300 ache.

“Can I get some warm water and a rag in here?” She returned her attention back on RE-300.

Maria placed her hands on the table, laced them together. Waited again for a response that it couldn’t give her. There wasn't anything more it could have said.

Its mouth parted, a static filled croak left its mouth. A subtle flinch, a hint of steel in previously soft eyes. “Can you show me what happened, Reed?” Maria tried again.

“Do-n’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I thought that was your name.” There was no judgment. The steel gone. The door opened, an officer stepped in and Maria rose to collect the small container with a quiet thanks. She placed it down on the table, stood near and above it.

“It’s...” Was Reed really its name? Or was it no different from the designation they assigned it upon activation? Had it only followed Tina back then because it was programmed to obey?

“As you like. What would you prefer?” Maria should not be close. It was dangerous.

“I...”

“Take as long as you need. Am I allowed to touch you?” Her hands dipped into the basin the officer had brought. It hadn’t wanted her touch, but something soiled his hands. Dirty. Another terse nod.

“Can’t be Reed anymore.” It forced the words out.

“Why not?” Maria wet the cloth and cleaned off its hands. Slow gentle movements it couldn't help but be enthralled by.

_Why?_

“It’s not...right.”

Maria only hummed softly in response. Inch by inch, its skin was wiped down. With each pass of cloth, the water took on a copper hue, and it soiled the cloth. It would likely need to be thrown out. She could never clean off all the traces.

Maria finished, eventually. Patted his hands and pushed the basin to the side.

“Will you show me what happened?” Maria slid her hand across the table. The fluctuating skin rescinded to show long white fingers.

RE-300 looked at the hand outstretched on the table. Skin like pearl under the harsh lightning off the quiet room. It moved a hand, gingerly, eyes darting between Maria and the glass window it knew hid more eyes.

She only slid her hand further across the table.

RE-300 slid the tips of their fingers together and _remembered._

* * *

“That’s my best friend in there!” Spat Tina as she stood up, knocking the chair to the floor with a noisy clatter. They drew more than a few eyes to the angry android, bright LED red for all to see.

“I understand Ms. Che-” The officer started.

“No, I don’t think you do.” Tina glared leveled a glare down at the blonde officer. She had insisted on being called something else. Ada but Tina could frankly give less of a damn of what she wanted. Reed was alone and probably stressed to hell. Screw whatever Ada wanted.

“We need to take his statement.” Ada tried again.

“He was protecting us!” And that should’ve been enough. Reed had been protecting them against whatever came to shit on their doorstep. So what if they were human? They were the ones who started the whole mess in more ways than one.

“He-” Ada’s tone took on something sharp.

Tina was ready to cut her off yet again when someone else interrupted from behind.

“Ms. Chen?” A masculine voice. The other officer from the scene?

Tina spun around, mouth open and ready to demand yet again to even just have two minutes, one minute just to see if Reed was okay. She looked up at the tall officer and squared her shoulders.

“While I’m afraid we cannot let you talk to your friend-” He raised a hand to silence her already budding protest. “-I can tell you we’re monitoring his stress levels. High, but considering the scene you both left, it’s to be expected.” His tone was calm with a frustrating undercurrent of softness. Compassion? “We thank you for your cooperation until now, but shouting at my partner here will solve nothing.”

“I just-” Tina started only to let out a sigh and with it, some of her fight. “I need to know if he’s okay. That, back there?” She wrapped her arms around her abdomen. “That’s not Reed.” Tina had seen it before, yeah, but she remembered all too well what humans had done in the past.

It wasn’t her story to tell either and it shouldn’t have mattered what Reed was, what they all were before they were so graciously allowed to exist.

The man frowned. A quick glance down at his nameplate. Stern. She wasn’t sure if that was a fitting name just _yet,_ but his eyes lacked whatever frustrating glint Ada’s held. Maybe a step up.

“Why don’t we go over some of the details again?” Stern asked, motioning to the desk adjacent from Ada’s.

Tina allowed herself to be herded over to Stern’s desk, a neat thing with a single picture frame and a succulent among neatly stacked files. Tina glanced back as Ada went to the right the chair she had knocked over and felt a rush of petty satisfaction.

It died as she sat back down, but it was nice while it lasted. Stern traded a look with Ada, his head tilting towards their desks and then away. Ada held his gaze for a few seconds before sighing and plucking mugs off of their desks.

Tina waited until it was just them before she attempted to yet again explain that Reed wasn’t the problem, not the threat that the officer’s clearly saw.

“Reed-he’s-” Where to start? Tina sighed.

“In your own time, Ms. Chen.” Stern pulled out a pen and paper. Old-fashioned.

“Just call me Tina.” Behind his desk, Tina liked Stern just a little less.

“Okay, Tina. Whenever you’re ready.” Stern’s smile was small but genuine.

“So...pre-everything. Revolution, or whatever,” Stern nodded and Tina took that as her cue to continue. “We always knew he wasn’t-well, Reed wasn’t exactly what you’d call a law-abiding citizen. Jaywalker...litterer.” Stern’s expression didn’t change. Reed would’ve laughed at that. Hell, at least a smile.

“Well, we know he used to be around...people. Shitty people, but that was before the revolution,” Tina eyed the officer’s expression. Humans went a few ways, but word revolution seemed the best bet to see where his stance on it all was. Stern just nodded at her to continue. Ugh.

“A lot of people did a lot worse than follow orders before Markus. I mean, hell, Reed wasn’t even awake till I-” Tina huffed. The words weren’t coming out right. Hell, she was more coherent moments after Chris had gone down and Gavin lost it. ‘ _Get it together, Chen._ ’ It wasn’t her voice that she heard in her mind.

“Why did you never go to New Jericho?”

“It’s not like we never thought of it but I, _we_ weren’t comfortable with it. I wasn’t awake till the night everything went down, and Reed was the same. Chris was for the longer time but-” Tina sighed. “It didn’t feel like our place.”

“Ms Ch-Tina.” Stern interjected. He waited until she met his eyes. “I need to clarify something you said. Awake, that’s your way of saying deviant, correct?” Tina nodded as Stern’s blue eyes flicked to the terminal in front of him. Maybe if she wasn’t in the middle of a police station, she could get away with a bit of snooping. Stern’s pen jotted down another messy cursive note.

“And you said your friend–Reed was deviant?” Whatever crept into Stern’s tone, Tina didn’t like it.

“Yeah, in case you missed the news of the past six months, we all are now.” Tina’s tone was painfully bland. A detective couldn’t be that stupid.

Stern’s pen slowed. He shifted in his chair, expression pensive for just a moment before a smile crossed his face. One that immediately raised her hackles. Forced, tiny and as plastic as people said she was.

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I’m afraid you’re mistaken.” Spoken as if she were a child.

The precinct continued to bustle around them, unaware of the ground that lurched underneath her chair.

“What? No, _what?_ I did it myself like when he and I met we interfaced.” Tina held up a hand, fingers wiggling as skin retracted to show the chassis underneath.

“According to our scans his code-”

Tina rose again in her seat. Stern mirrored her, hands raising.

“-And the Jericho representative just confirmed it. Reed isn’t deviant.” Blue eyes darted back to screen and police be fucking damned. Tina stood up, half lunged towards Stern and splayed herself half over his desk, knocking countless files to the floor.

Stern cursed, hands jerking down to his side, towards his sidearm, but she couldn’t give a singular shit about that. Not when her best friend was on the line.

_What?_

“L-let me talk to Jef-Fowler. _Now_.” Yelled Tina.

“Please, get off my partner’s desk, Ms. Chen.” Ada.

Tina turned her head to find an unimpressed blonde.

* * *

Before was a distant memory. Before the warehouse, before the labs. Before- _before_ - _before_ - _ **b̸e̶f̵o̴r̶e̶**._

It hadn’t mattered anymore. It was now the After. Dr. Mills had decided this was where its purpose was. Among the rats and damp rot that slowly crept into no matter how many times it cleaned. Dr. Mills had even made it different, improved 300. Gave it that chance. The only one to be given the gift of a purpose unlike any other.

The warehouse had been the world, and thirium ran through its fingers more often than the rain ever did. Day in and day out, there was always something to do. Another task to complete.

_Clean up the fucking mess_. It mopped up the already drying blood. Ignored the cracked edges of its code that dared to whisper calling for an ambulance. It was too late for the human regardless and would just end with another broken component in 300’s systems. It ~~wanted~~.

Broken parts were not good for efficiency.

_Shut that thing up._ It reached into the android’s body and tore out component #45266v. Silenced the broken pleas from a thing that wasn’t even alive in the first place. An empty face, mouth parted around unfinished words. Task complete.

Curly dark hair, tired eyes peered at 300. It stared back, met its gaze levelly. Boss, no, _owner_ Terrance looped around the smaller, the younger human’s neck and pulled him in close. The younger’s face lost some of its color under its gaze.

“Are you sure it’s y’know safe? News says they’ve been going nuts. Fucking people up.” The younger human looked at 300 with no insignificant amount of uncertainty. Stress levels only increased when he looked at Terrance.

Terrance just laughed and roughly ruffled his hair. “Nah, this one’s fucked up. Can’t do shit even if it wanted to, isn’t that right, 300?”

“I am programmed to obey as per Dr. Mills contract.”

Terrance reached forward. It did not need to fight to remain still. He flicked its nose, then tapped where it knew it had taken damage from a previous failure. A scar it had seen in a reflection once. Underneath its synthetic skin, the damage looked worse. 

“See that, Laz?” Terrance asked, then continued without waiting for a response. “That one was me. Plastic shit didn’t even flinch.” It watched as Terrance’s grip slid from around the young man’s shoulders until his hand was gripping the back of Laz's neck. “Though, if it somehow went nuts, took us all out, we’d leave you all on your lonesome, isn’t that about right?” Terrance’s smile was toothy.

“R-right.” 300 concluded that Laz was not a ‘talker’ as Terrance liked to put it.

“But since it’s a fucking machine, we don’t have to worry about that none, right, Laz?”

“Uh, no? Nope, yeah.”

“Good.” Terrance dropped his grip, and shoved Laz by the shoulder, sent the man stumbling away. “Now go do your fucking job and quit worrying about the tin-can.”

Laz left, likely to do just as instructed. Just as 300 did itself.

_Stay here and protect our assets._

Fingers dripped, dried thirium already evaporating from its clothing. It had been three hours, twenty-two minutes and fifty-eight seconds since it last dealt with a trespasser. Something had intruded. Someone was breathing, ragged breaths that only hitched as they came around to the workshop. A sharp inhale, a gasp.

300 turned.

An LED that flickered between red and yellow. Dark brown eyes, black hair that came to its shoulders. Android.

New stock?

_TN-200_ chimed its scan.

“Hey,” The android wrapped arms around its midsection, eyes darting about at the pieces strewn across the workshop tables. ~~Her~~ It’s LED turned red and remained there. Its eyes must have been damaged. Moisture clung to the TN-200’s lashes.

RE-300 approached. Its expression was unwavering, and ~~she~~ it backed away, eyes darting, scanning over 300’s form. Likely picked up the traces of thirium, and general waste unavoidable in its world.

It took a stuttering step back from 300. The light shifted in its eyes, mouth curling into something familiar and mean.

“Who the hell did this to you?” TN-200 demanded. Its voice shook. Damaged?

300 ran at her, registered eyes wide ( _surprise)_ the moment before they collided in a clash of artificial limbs. They slammed against a table, jars filled with thirium crashing and spilling across the floor. The TN unit’s elbow caught 300 in the face, knocking it off balance. ~~She~~ It bared its teeth.

It’s hand raised, a flash of white that wrapped around 300’s throat.

The world _stopped._

Red-red-red-red-red-red-r̸e̵d̵-̴r̶e̶d̶-̴r̷e̵d̶-̵r̴e̴d̸-̸̭̔̉r̸͔̲̟͇̒ȩ̴̈́̅̍̀͘d̶͂͐̈́̋͜͠-̸̳͌́͒̀͝r̸̜̰̪̈́e̴͔͇͐d̴̝͖̐-̴̘͌̆͘ȓ̸̠̄̾͝ë̸̠̲̬̹̱́͗d̷̺͖̬͊̕-̷̻̭̿r̴͇͂͑̔̀̕e̶̖̋̍͠͝d̶͎̀͗-̵͕̞̬͈̈́̉̑̓̕r̷̟͍̗̺̖̟̱͌̿̓e̶̮̿͗̇̑͘d̷̢̰̖̣̈́̈͜͜͝-̵̮̓̋̄͠r̵̡͙̙̘͈͐̈́̒̿̽̉ĕ̷̮̙̮̪͕͓̄̃͝ḍ̵̀-̶̙̽̾̈̕r̵͉̮̹̽͌̏e̸͈̓̍͒̚̚͝͝d̴̘̝̲̖͒̀̀͌͘-̷̅̄̈́͒͗̏͠ͅ

_Sunshine through trees._ Software Instability ^

_Water cupped in white, smooth fingers._ Software Instability ^

_A hand in hers._ Software Instability ^

Instability Rerouted ˅

Priority Task: Protect Assets.

Eyes lolled about in artificial sockets. The TN was on its knees next to it. Somewhere in-between the seconds, 300 had ended up on its back. TN’s hands hovered, fluttered, but never quite touched 300’s body. Its mouth moved, words. It looked down at 300. _Concerned_. Abruptly it looked up, its mouth moved even faster than, and gestured back down at 300.

300 jolted as the world came back into painful focus.

“-hing like when Markus did it!” 300 recoiled against TN’s volume.

“Tell me something I don’t know!” Not the TN’s voice. Male? It took too much processing power to move its head. Not an active bodily movement and more letting gravity loll its head to the other side.

CR-400. It hovered like the TN unit, but further back. A safer distance.

“Studies show-”

“ _T_ _ina,"_ Admonishment with none of the vitriol it was used to.

300 opened it’s mouth. “T-eeny?”

CR let out a choking sound.

“What do you think, _Teeny?_ ” Again, it lacked the heat that Terrance’s words held.

“Shut it, Chris.” A glare from the TN unit, but different from the one it had levelled at 300. “What’s your name?” Its hands finally seemed to settle, resting them on its thighs. Not touching. Good.

“RE-” its voice was a garbled, static drenched thing. “RE-” TN’s mouth curled down. “RE-”

“Reed?” TN...no. _Tina_ finished incorrectly. ~~It~~ She had done something to 300. Filled in the fragmented code with something else. Not enough. Too much. Something broken, incomplete.

RE-300 blinked at her.

“Is that your name?” Fingers reached for his own, white creeping out as their fingertips brushed against each other. The wisps of another at the edge of its mind, _the sensation of rain against its hands. The bubbling laughter it’d never heard from the android in front of him yet still knew the sound._ A pang that made the red that flowed through its system shudder.

The red was around it, walls pressed in around _them-it-her_. Protect assě̷̼͚̓͠t̵͚̫́̌s̵̳̾̿̔?

A̴s̸s̶e̶t̸s̷.̴

_Protect?_

New Parameters Set

Protect.

“My name is Reed,”

* * *

Nines kept his hands clasped behind his back as he observed the scene before them. Ada’s assessment when they took Reed into custody wasn’t unfounded. It had gotten messy at an alarming rate. Complicated. He was almost impressed by how quickly New Jericho got there. The paperwork would be a nightmare.

A glance at the clock. Roughly twenty-five minutes since Tina all but barged into Fowler’s office, and twenty-three since both Nines and Ada were not so subtly kicked from the room. Seeing his boss simmer down for _anyone_ was a sight that neither he nor Ada had expected when they had followed Tina.

Nines wasn’t one to pry into the personal affairs of his coworker’s let alone his boss, but even Nines could admit to being curious.

An ache made its home in the space between his eyes. Alone, or as alone as one could be in the precinct, he brought up a hand to punch at the bridge of his nose. They were just in the area after a last sweep for the Curie case. They were the closest to what was supposed to be a domestic disturbance.

Only that wasn’t all it was. One damaged-injured android, one desperately restraining the other, Reed, from breaking any more bones when they arrived on scene. It hadn’t even looked halfway good and then The Report came in as he spoke to Ms. Chen.

How had it come to this? A scenario that led up to an android being kept from deviancy for so long? Reed’s LED had yet to flicker from anything but red since their initial arrival on the scene.

The door slid open and Nines dropped his hand back down to his side.

“Fowler will have a lot to say about this.” Ada must’ve gotten kicked out _again._

Nines’ mouth curled into a slight smile, half turning to meet his partner’s gaze. “You were gone longer than expected.”

Ada scoffed as she stepped in, door sliding shut behind her. “It’s _our_ scene. I don’t see why he has to speak to Ms. Chen alone.”

“Grumbling doesn’t suit you, Ada.”

“I’m _not_ grumbling, Nines.” Yes, yes, she was.

“Ah, my mistake then. Of course, you’re just muttering. There is a difference, I forgot.” He kept his face perfectly devoid of humour.

“Shut it, Stern.” She snapped back.

“No nicknames then?” His fingers tensed behind his back.

“No, I think happen to think yours is profoundly stupid and doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.”

“You wound me, Ada. Truly.”

Ada sighed as she stopped next to him. Closer than she’d let any of their other coworker’s get. She gently bumped her shoulder against his. They both silently watched the androids through the glass. Tension gradually seeped from his frame.

“Have they said anything at all since they started holding hands?” Ada glanced up at him.

Nines shook his head. “Nothing.” A beat of silence. He saw her glance his way, a lopsided smirk on her face. “And it’s called interfacing, Ada.”

She shrugged, a smirk widening across her mouth. Silence. It was more comfortable than when he had been alone. Nines could admit it to her now but when they were first assigned to one another, he wasn’t quite sure about her. Driven in a way that he could admire but that could almost tip into callousness. It had, once or twice when their partnership had been new.

Looking at her now, light from the interrogation room casting shadows across her face, he was glad they had met.

Movement on the other side of the glass, _finally._ The Jericho rep pulled her hand gently from Reed. Nines’ brows furrowed.

“Her name is Maria.” As usual, Ada was on top of the ball.

Maria stood up. “I’m sure your friends will understand,” The parting words to a conversation that neither Ada nor Nines were privy to. As she passed Reed, she placed a hand on his shoulder, then picked up a small bucket as she left. “Have a bit more faith in yourself.” Reed nodded, once. His LED turned yellow.

With everything, it wouldn’t be a far leap to make that Maria would go see Fowler. Or they’d find her waiting at one of their desks.

Ada rolled her shoulders, then took a quick step out of his personal space once again. Her hands smoothed out unseen wrinkles in her clothing when Nines spoke;

“You could stand to relax a little in front of our fellow’s Ada.”

“But then they would think I want office gossip.”

"You do?”

“Don’t want them to know that.” Ada bumped into Nines’ shoulder once more before she exited the room. He spared one last look to Reed before he followed her out.

* * *

_Go home_. That was the only thing Jeffrey had wanted. Have a drink, be at home and hope to God there would be a tomorrow to wake up to. Christ, _android revolution._ The cases had been following him and just about everyone under his jurisdiction’s home. No love for Perkins and the FBI, but even he could admit it was beyond them at this point.

Just his luck that he stumbled across a trio of deviants. Two looked like men, hovering over a third, a smaller woman designed to be of Asian descent. Three pairs of eyes that fell on him, then to the gun at his side.

_Hell._

Two of them already looked like something, or someone had them put through the ringer. Carefully, painfully aware of their loaded gazes, his hand moved towards his gun. Three to one. Not good odds, even with their injuries.

Then one of them growled. A low rumbling sound that crackled and popped with faint static. Curly brown hair, dressed in street clothing. It rose slowly, but Jeffrey would not be reassured by that. He knew that look, though it was different when it came from an android.

_That thing’ll go down swinging. Won’t be pretty._

It positioned itself firmly in front of the other two. A flash of bared white teeth in the dark.

Jeffrey had seen that look before. In cops, in perp’s. In _humans_.

Mindful of the red glare of their LED’s, he faced his palm towards them. He felt the white hairs grow as his hand inched away the gun. He raised the other hand and took one small step back. The two androids crouched on the ground exchanged looks, a conversation if their light show at their temples was anything to go by.

“Reed,” The male android spoke. A hand reached up, tugged on his pant leg. Jeffrey and it met eyes. “None of us saw anything, right?”

“Hum̴a̵n̵.”

Tense seconds ticked by.

“Nothing.” Jeffrey answered back.

“ _Reed,_ ” The female android that time. “Just turn around and keep going. We’ll do the same.”

Jeffrey’s shifted his weight. Reed’s eyes weren’t the only thing he had seen before, had known. A night, a long time ago. Blood in the snow. A kid he couldn’t save. He took a step forward.

Jeffrey knew he was gonna regret this.

* * *

Cameras were unnecessary to know that just about the whole precinct was watching them. He shot a glare out at them anyway and made a note of the ones smart enough to pretend to work. He pressed the privacy option on the screen, and the glass turned opaque.

“I should’ve kept on walking, Chen.” Jeffrey whirled on her, jammed a finger in her direction.

Tina slumped down in the chair, arms crossed and a picture perfect display of a scolded child. “But you didn’t.”

“No,” Jeffrey sighed. “I didn’t.” Call it sentiment, exhaustion or something else entirely that night. He would not wax philosophy or claim to be a secret android sympathizer all along like some people did. The mess outside his office doors was almost enough for him to regret it in the first place. Ada would be a pain for a long while after everything was said and done.

“I read the reports, Tina.”

“Then I don’t have to tell you we both know that wasn’t Reed.”

“Maybe so but that’s now how the higher ups will see it, Tina. Not to even mention the news. They’ve been waiting for their chance to get at this precinct ever since we got the ‘First Android Detective’ and that was before everything.”

“So you’re just going to roll over for-”

“Don't you start with that shit.” Jeffrey watched her make a face that rivaled Conner when he initially assigned him Hank all those months ago. “I’m going to do my job. The suspects are being interrogated as we speak. Reed did a real number on them.”

She crossed her arms and looked away. “I think they’re the ones he used to belong to.”

“The ones that did that to his face?” He didn’t bother to even try to hide his surprise. Jeffrey had some trust with them, but this much?

“I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Reed since _your_ officer’s dragged him away.”

“Tina.” Warned Jeffrey. She only rolled her eyes.

“I’m just saying.”

“You aren’t just saying, Chen. Don’t bullshit me.”

“Fine, _Jeff_.” She scoffed. “Reed’s always been _weird._ You know this, I know this. Hell, even _Chris_ knows it. He gets stressed out by certain things, and where I found him?” Tina grimaced, tore her eyes from the space just behind him. She met his eyes head on.

“You didn’t see the look on his face when Chris opened the door. Jeffrey, he was scared.”

* * *

Chris was on the floor.

Deactivated.

Gone.

Dead?

A sound, a half a scream cut off. A blank LED.

Chris had answered the door. Why was it his turn? Wasn’t it Reed’s?

It was Reed’s turn, but he had been with Tina. Reed’s fault.

Task Failed.

Tina’s shout. A weapon raised. Not a gun. It had killed Chris. It would kill Tina.

Reed moved. A man shrieked in pain. Bones gave way underneath its hands. Red hands. Blue hands. The smell of damp mold. The world.

It would rip them apart.

Arms. Arms around his middle. Tina? Skin peeled back, an ~~embrace~~ tackle. Bigger than him and bigger than Tina. Memories rush through, cold? No, _cool_. Water against its code, dripped into the cracks. _A small hand in his, standing in front of a human? It had to protect them. It could not follow the orders. It could not stand aside. A frightened voice whimpers its name. Chr-_

“-eed! C’mon, stop, _top,_ it’s okay, we’re okay!” A weak voice in stark contrast to the grip. “It’s me,”

“Ssss...yo...u..?”

* * *

The precinct was still too loud for its sensors. No. Not _It_. ‘It’ made Maria sad, would make Tina sad, Chris too. ~~It~~ He was not an it. Not anymore. Not since Tina and Chris. Especially after Maria had held his hand, had mended the frayed edges of his (?) code. She had said he was different but not wrong. A lot of terms that sounded important, but he couldn't honestly care.

Chris was alright. Would be alright. Maria had seen him.

Deviant, but something Before had gone wrong. A loop he couldn’t get out of on his own. Corrupted. _Dr. Mills._ Maria had looked sad when she saw. Not just a single memory, nor the brightness of the first time he had met Tina and Chris. All of it made her sad. It was almost an insult to have Maria, _anyone,_ have feelings _at_ him. Shitty.

Hellishly shitty.

A really fucking shitty he felt...down to his ass?

Fuck.

Fuck this.

Fuck them.

Fuck _that_ chair in particular.

The android liked the word. Hell yeah. The ghost of a smile crossed its lips.

The door opened behind, and his head turned. A blonde officer entered, face calm and posture relaxed.

“Reed.” She greeted. “You’re free to go.” Just like that? _Damn._ She barely stepped into view. “You are, before you leave, going to need to talk to Fowler. It’s my understanding that the two of you are...acquainted.” Her mouth twitched down. Right. He never brought up his...what even were they to each other? Not friends. Maybe friends?

“Fucking Fowler,” He could finally voice a thought had plagued him for months. The corner of his mouth curled up at the startled look that crossed the officer’s face. “Lead the way,”

“Right,” The officer’s look was pure judgment. The ~~Reed~~ android returned the look. She pivoted on her heel and left the room. They–wow. He actually hadn’t expected that. More shoving, maybe. A shit-fit?

He followed her, eyes darting across all the details it had missed when he was out of it. Eyes flickered his way, some android and some not. The place was an eyesore with all the light. He decided he wasn’t a fan.

“Ada, the captain- _oh_ -Mr. Reed.” Blue eyes. He remembered those eyes. An unfairly pretty face for a human. Huh. That was a new thought. His dark clothing made him look pale and honestly reminded him of an awful vampire film Tina had demanded they watch.

“Nines, what about the captain?” _Damn._ The officer (Ada) was short with everyone.

“He’s still finishing up with the second witness.”

“He arrived?” Ada’s head turned, and he attempted to follow it. Wasn’t that a glass room earlier?

“Yes, just a short while ago.” Nines (What the fuck kind of name was that?) Ada just sighed.

“Mr. Reed?” He met Nines’ eyes. “I’d like to apologize for any discomfort you might’ve felt in that room. We’re a bit full in our holding area and we didn’t want to put you-the victim in such a situation.” He felt a swoop through his gut as blue eyes swept over his frame. Okay, eye contact was a bit too much right now. Good to know.

“Since you’ve got this handled, I’m getting some more coffee. Have a nice-well I suppose it’s morning now, Reed.” Ada smiled, and then promptly gave Nines a smile that was significantly more real. She patted Nines’ shoulder as she passed. Presumably left for wherever the police stored their coffee.

“Not Reed.” He called to her back. She didn't even look back. Despite the conversation with Maria, it was....difficult to claim the name again. It sat wrong somehow. _Off._ Fucking weird.

“Pardon?” Who even said pardon? Nines, apparently.

“Don’t like it.” He also did not like how much taller the officer was.

“Oh, what would you prefer?”

And there was the question he had been stewing in since Maria left. He wasn’t RE-300, nor was he just 300. Reed was just fucking weird now that everything _felt_? He felt? Fucking emotions. It was like...a cat. He liked cats except this one was a little shit and went and tangled all his feelings up. It would be easier if it was a cat instead of a shitty metaphor after a fucked up night. Tina would make fun of him when she heard about it later because of course she’d hear about it later.

“Sir?” Fuck, words. Can’t anyone see he was having a crisis here? Nines and seriously-

“-What the fuck kind of name is Nines?” Whoops. Well, shit. That was out there now.

“Its...a long story.” He watched as Nines clasped his hands behind his back. “It’s the name I chose. As for how it came to be used here," He shrugged. "It got stuck.” Nines tipped his head towards the assortment of desks. “I’m sure Captain Fowler will be done his meeting shortly if you'd like to take a seat.”

Like a baby duck (?) He followed Nines to one desk. Cleaner than anything he had back home. Nines motioned for a seat and then leaned back onto the desk. As if the prick (?) needed a height advantage.

He still took the chair and delighted in slouching down in it with a grumbled thanks. A stuck name, huh? Androids were alive. He was alive. Like the humans, and they got their names stuck. It wasn’t uncommon for a human to change their name. Okay, yeah. He could work with this.

“Are you alright? Your LED-” He almost jumped at Nines’ voice. He immediately stamped down on the urge to lean back into the chair. He didn’t need the officer to take any excuse to lean forward. No. Nope.

“Maybe Gavin.” A confused look. “Read it in a book once.” A very, very old fucking book. He liked the character. Heroic, all that shit. The furthest thing from the RE-300 of Before.

RE-300-Reed-Gavin. Shit, that was going to take some getting used to. _Gavin_ watched as Nines took in his words. Couldn't look away at the sudden smile.

“I think Gavin is a lovely name.” Nines smiled, and Gavin felt another twinge in his gut.

Already, ~~his~~ Gavin’s mouth opened to protest. Fucking _lovely_ , what year was it? Who was _he_? Wait, no. That was a good question. Who the fuck was Gavin? Wait, shit. He had just been staring into Nines’ eyes who had returned said stare. Was he thinking of the word stare too much? Fuck. This was too much looking into each other’s eyes. Shit, that made it _worse_. Thank Christ he couldn’t blush.

There was an obnoxiously loud slurp from the next desk over which broke their impromptu staring contest. Ada sat there, relaxed as can be as she took another absurdly loud sip of her drink. She raised one eyebrow and lowered the mug.

“I’m not interrupting anything am I?” She asked.

“Reed!” Both Gavin and Nines jumped in surprise.

“Shit, you can shout!” Exclaimed Gavin, a hand going up to his chest.

“REED!” Oh fuck, angry Chen.

“Fuck me, angry Chen.” Another absurdly loud sip. What was she doing? Blowing it?

“In here now!” Angry Chen and angry Fowler. The world’s worst club.

Gavin stood, and Nines mirrored the action. All that fucking leg, Jesus.

“Not you, Stern. I’ll see you after I’m done with him.” Nines Stern, what a dumb fucking name. Nines sat back down.

“Uh, bye.” Gavin didn’t scramble away from the weird awkward that was Ada and Nines.

“I hope we’ll see you again, Not-Reed!” Ada chimed, perfectly pleasant.

“ _Ada_ ,”

* * *

“How is it that you managed to cause so much shit, Reed? Less than twenty-eight hours! Twenty-eight hours and I’ve got a three-ring circus outside these walls, my bosses facing a whole new situation no other district has had to handle, New Jericho breathing down my neck over what to do with you-” Gavin slid further and further down in his seat. “-Chris almost _died_ and a brand new glorified taser for androids that we didn’t even know existed before now.” Fowler’s hand came down against the desk. “And to top it all off you almost lose it on us.” Fowler bowed his head, and then out a long, weary sigh. He dropped back into his seat. “How you holdin’ up son?”

“M’fine.” Gavin mumbled.

“Reed,”

“Hey, fun new thing? Don’t like Reed anymore. Thought it was kinda lonely, so I added a Gavin in front.” Gavin raised a few fingers in the world’s saddest jazz hands. “ _Surprise_ ,”

Fowler stared. He was able to feel Tina’s stare.

“ _Sur-prise_ ,” Another weak jazz hands.

Tina snorted, then her shoulders shook. A chuckle which she desperately tried to smother behind her hand. Then she was full on laughing into her hands. A break in the frankly apocalyptic tension that had risen in the room. Fowler’s mouth became a thin line. Too thin.

Gavin’s synthetic skin peeled back, and slowly he held out his hand towards her. She took it without an ounce of hesitation and Gavin felt nothing but _relief._ “Oh, thank Christ I thought you were really pissed at me.” He sagged into the chair.

“So...I guess we’re not sad anymore?” _Chris._

In a flash, Gavin dropped Tina’s hand and was up. His regulator was ready to race outta his chest and he couldn’t give a singular shit about that. There, at the door. Chris. Safe. It had been one thing to have Maria tell him and another to have him there. Standing, at the very least.

Fucking furniture getting in the way. Gavin practically launched himself over the chair and into Chris. His leg shot out and promptly knocked it over. Fuck that chair. A moment. A second and Gavin reached up blindly (but not really) and laid his palm against Chris’ face just to be a shit about it. _Relief, It’s Gavin, apologies._ Who's who's? Eh.

Fowler cleared his throat.

“There’s a taxi on its way. I suggest the three of you take the back way out and don’t let me see any of you in here unless I specifically call for it. Got it?”

“Okay, Fowler,”

“We’ll try.”

“Hell _yeah_.”

Gavin peeled himself off of Chris. _There._ The quota fucking filled. No one was getting a hug until the next year at the very earliest. Except if someone almost died again. Fuck, did he just jinx it?

If Fowler had a smile on as they filed out of the room, well, okay. Gavin was going to give him shit about it, but only the next time.

* * *

“We should get them donuts as a thank you.” Tina mumbled at his side. Their couch was too fucking small for two of them, let alone three. If Tina was less on top of him, Gavin would’ve rolled onto the floor already to escape. _Affection?_ Disgusting.

“Chen, you’re fucking ignorant. Not all cops like donuts.” Gavin grumbled. He couldn’t see Nines or Ada eating them.

“Who the hell doesn’t like donuts?”

“Oh, just a thought, us?” Gavin lifted his head in his best attempt to relay judgment.

“Well, _I_ like them.”

“You can’t even taste them, Chris.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t like them though.”

Gavin scoffed, and the conversation died.

There were still signs of before. They had settled for putting something heavy in front of the door until they could fix it. Whoever cleaned up the mess clearly wasn’t an android else they would’ve spotted the small shit. Still nice enough.

Tina’s fingers had laced with his, a lax grip. Slowly, his head dipped to the side, hovering over her shoulder until she brought up her free hand and pressed his head down against the soft plaid. In the mess of limbs, after the taxing...thirty hours it was easier to forget who’s limbs was who’s.

Fingers brushed against his free hand. A hand over his. Without even opening his eyes, Gavin turned his hand so his palm was up, and held onto Chris. 

Gavin’s eyes drooped. “Hey, T?”

“Mm?”

“What the fuck kind of greeting to me was hey?” Gavin felt rather than heard her laugh.

“Well, at least I didn’t deviate you from a hug!” Ah, there was his friend. So ready to throw Chris under the bus.

“It wasn’t a hug!” Chris protested.

“Bear hug.”

“It was a tackle. A very strong tackle.”

“Chris’ hugs are enough for machines to deviate!” Tina cackled, leaning heavily against Gavin’s side.

Gavin snorted, and cracked open an eye to stare at his friends, his family. His eyes slid shut again.

Pr̴o̸t̷e̸c̶t̷

**Author's Note:**

> The concept for this started out lighthearted in drafting stages but I just couldn't make it work. Then I tried a different approach. Whoops. 
> 
> The first thing I finished in a long while and my first ever DBH fic and well, it's done even if I'm not totally satisfied with it. Whooo DE! Also Ada and Nines as partners was not something I knew I needed until it happened.
> 
> Feel free to come shout about things at my [tumblr ](https://possibly-not-a-ghost.tumblr.com/).


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